With the transfer portal officially open until December 28th, there is no position more important to Auburn than quarterback.

Payton Thorne, Hank Brown and Holden Geriner are on the verge of leaving the program, meaning the Tigers currently only have two scholarship quarterbacks, incoming freshman Deuce Knight and redshirt freshman Walker White.

Hugh Freeze said on signing day that he plans to add four scholarship quarterbacks to the roster in 2025, meaning Auburn would have to add two through the transfer portal. A number of well-known quarterbacks have already entered the portal, giving Freeze and the staff options.

Here are five possible destinations:

Ashton Daniels, Stanford

Right now, Daniels appears to be the most likely quarterback Auburn will sign, although he probably won’t be the only one.

On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong reported that Auburn is leading the way for Daniels and predicted the Tigers would land the Stanford signal-caller.

Daniels’ 2024 numbers don’t necessarily stand out from the crowd, as he posted 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns, but 12 interceptions. However, he was effective as a runner, rushing for 669 yards and three touchdowns.

Given Auburn and Freeze’s offense, signing a dual-threat quarterback could be a priority. While Daniels’ passing numbers aren’t anything to write home about, his style could fit the offense.

If Auburn signs Daniels, it will likely still try to sign another transfer quarterback, meaning a starting job for Daniels isn’t a guarantee.

Kaidon Salter, Freedom

Salter has the most obvious connection to Auburn compared to the other potential targets, having played under Freeze at Liberty for two years.

He fits into the way Freeze likes to run offense, and it wouldn’t take much of a learning curve to get back into the system. Salter’s best season at Liberty came in 2023, when he threw for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns.

However, his numbers declined in 2024, rushing for 1,886 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 587 yards and seven touchdowns.

On3 reported that Auburn, along with Colorado and UCLA, have shown “interest” in Salter.

Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma

Arnold is one of the most intriguing quarterback options given his inconsistent success at Oklahoma but his five-star rating as a recruit.

During his redshirt freshman season in 2024, Arnold rushed for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games, was benched for two games just before the halfway point of the season, but finished the year relatively strong.

He ran the ball more frequently in the second half of the year and finished the season with 444 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His most notable rushing performance came in Oklahoma’s upset win over Alabama, where he rushed for 131 yards on 25 carries.

When looking at Arnold’s 2024 numbers, it’s worth noting Oklahoma’s injuries at wide receiver and the overall dysfunction of the offense under now-fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

However, it might be difficult for Auburn to land Arnold since he works with Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby, who was his offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2023. On3 reported Monday that Mississippi State is a “top school to keep an eye on.” regarding Arnold and predicted he would sign with the Bulldogs.

Darian Mensah, Tulane

Mensah was one of the best Group of 5 quarterbacks in the country this season, throwing for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions as a redshirt freshman.

Those numbers helped propel Tulane and first-year head coach John Sumrall to the American Athletic Conference Championship game. He also had a QBR of 76.5, ranking fourth among quarterbacks in the starting group of five.

His rushing numbers aren’t as prolific as the other players on the roster, but he remains one of the best quarterback options available in the transfer portal.

Chandler Morris, North Texas

Morris is one of the latest portal entries, with On3 reporting his plans to enter the transfer portal on Monday.

He is coming off a season at North Texas in which he threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. Morris also ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.

Prior to his season with the Mean Green, Morris spent three seasons at TCU and one at Oklahoma. His best season at the Power 4 level came in 2023 at TCU, where he threw for 1,532 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M